Air Force Falcons at UNLV Rebels, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Thursday, November 18, 2010, 10:00 pm Eastern, TV: CBS College Sports
Opening Line: Air Force -20 1/2
Current Line: Air Force -19 1/2
Opening Total: 56
Current Total: 56 1/2
Money Line: AFA -900 / UNLV +600
Troy Calhoun takes his 7-4 Air Force Falcons on the road to take on Bobby Hauck’s 2-8 UNLV Rebels. Air Force finishes up their season with this game but will go to a bowl game. They have 4 losses on the season but all their losses are to good teams. The Falcons have losses to Oklahoma, TCU, San Diego St, and Utah, all teams that are going to bowl games this year. UNLV’s only 2 wins are against Wyoming and New Mexico, the only two teams in the Mountain West that are worse than the Rebels. Air Force has pretty much owned UNLV in the last 8 meetings. Air Force is 6-2 ATS and 7-1 straight up in those meetings.
Air Force is second in the country in rushing with 316 yards a game. The Falcons are outscoring opponents 32-23. The Falcons give up 353 yards a game including over 200 on the ground. The Falcons have a turnover ratio of +2. The Falcons are very good at converting 3rd and 4th downs. They have converted 50 percent on 3rd down and 64% on 4th down. The offense is led by quarterback Tim Jefferson. Like most option quarterbacks, Jefferson is good with both his arms and legs. He has almost 2,000 combined passing and rushing yards along with 21 total touchdowns (12 rushing) and 6 interceptions. he only throws for 120 yards a game, but he doesn’t have to throw very much in the Falcons offense. The Falcons have 36 rushing touchdowns on the season. Running back Asher Clark and Jefferson get most of the carries, though the Falcons do miss fullback Jared Tew who is out with a broken leg. Clark has 160 carries, 919 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Nathan Walker also has contributed almost 400 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns for the season. Ten Falcon runners have at least one rushing touchdown. Four Falcon receivers have at least 11 catches and 2 touchdowns. Though the Falcons might throw the ball only 10 times a game. air Force does struggle in the kicking game as they have only converted 5 out of 10 field goals this season.
UNLV is 2-8 under first year coach Bobby Hauck, but the schedule has been brutal this season. Nine of the Rebel’s opponents this season will go to a bowl. Even Idaho has a chance to go to a bowl if they win out. Also, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and TCU have a chance to go to BCS games. UNLV has been outscored 37-18 this season, and they give up 421 yards a game, including 212 yards a game on the ground. That is a problem facing the option offense of Air Force. On offense the Rebels only average 270 yards a game and have 21 offensive touchdowns for the season. The Rebels struggle on the offensive line as they have given up 31 sacks for the season and only rush for 107 yards a game. Quarterback Omar Clayton leads the offense but he is inconsistent. Clayton has thrown for over 1,200 yards this season with 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He also has a rushing touchdown on 79 carries and 188 yards. Freshman Caleb Herring is the Rebels; quarterback of the future and takes some snaps as well. He has three touchdown passes and 3 interceptions. He didn’t play in the Rebels 42-16 victory over Wyoming last week. The top receivers for the Rebels are Phillip Payne (27 catches, 453 yards, 3 touchdown catches) and Michael Johnson (37 catches, 414 yards 4 touchdowns.) Tim Cornett is the Rebels leading rusher with 90 carries and 5 touchdown runs. Cornett also has 2 touchdown catches.
Air Force isn’t the same without Tew but still has enough to beat a UNLV team just playing out the string who has difficulty scoring and stopping the run. Coach Bobby Hauck has said the Rebels are playing for next year and it will be great experience for the freshmen and sophomores on the team.
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